Vehicle direction indicator



SefJL 19, 1939. 0-, LUCAS f 2,173,422

. VEHICLE DIRECTION INDIC-A'I'OR U Filed Feb. 5, 1939 Inn? 6:;

Z as' Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE DIRECTION INDICATOR Oliver Lucas, Birmingham, England, assignor to Joseph Lucas Limited, Birmingham, England 1 Claim.

This invention relates to direction indicators of the semaphore type used on road vehicles, and has for its object to provide an improved construction for minimising risk of injury to the arm when the latter is in the extended position.

The invention comprises the combination of a pair of members in the form of a fulcrum piece and separately made arm having inter-acting or interconnected parts which are so constructed and arranged that the arm will move laterally in relation to the fulcrum piece under the action of e. g. a blow, and at least one spring arranged in one of the said members for holding them in their normal operative relationship.

In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are part sectional elevations at right angles to each other of a direction indicator embodying the invention.

In carrying the invention into effect as shown, I employ a fulcrum piece a of any convenient form, this being pivotally supported by a pin b in a housing or holder 0 and being adapted for actuation by an electromagnet d or by other means. The arm e is made separately from the fulcrum piece a, and the adjacent ends thereof are permanently interconnected by a hinge pin it having its axis in the central plane of the arm. This hing-e pin is carried by a pair of extensions it formed on the outer end of the fulcrum piece a, and passes through the inner end of the arm e. The latter is held in its normal position relatively to the fulcrum piece by the interaction of the inner end of the arm with the outer end of a spring-loaded member m slidably mounted in the outer end of the fulcrum piece. Alternatively the spring-loaded member may be slidably mounted in the inner end of the arm and adapted to co-act with the outer end of the fulcrum piece. In the example shown the slidable member m is loaded by a compression spring n (or springs) arranged within the fulcrum piece 11. Also the inter-acting ends of the slidable member m and arm e are made to a complementary V or like form, so that the tendency of the spring n (or springs) is to retain the arm in its normal position relatively to the fulcrum piece a.

Ordinarily the arm e and fulcrum piece a 10 move together as a unitary structure, but in the event of a blow, or other accidental or intentional force such as might injure or strain the arm being applied to it when extended, the arm can move or swing laterally to either side of its normal position (as indicated for example by broken lines in Figure 2) or can even become detached from the fulcrum piece, and so minimise risk of injury to it or to the fulcrum piece and associated parts.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A motor vehicle direction indicator of the type specified, comprising the combination of a fulcrum piece and arm in the form of separately made members pivotally connected together, and a spring-loaded member slidably supported in one of the said members and acting on the adjacent part of the other of the said members, the interacting parts of the latter member and the spring-loaded member being made to a complementary form so that the spring loading tends to retain the arm in its normal position relatively to the fulcrum piece, but so constructed and arranged that the arm will move laterally from that position under the action of e. g. a blow.

OLIVER. LUCAS. 

